Eskom has mobilised additional technical resources across several provinces following electricity supply disruptions caused by severe weather conditions, including heavy rainfall, snowfall, strong winds and extreme cold. KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape, Limpopo and the Free State are among the provinces that have experienced weather-related faults and damage to electricity infrastructure.
The severe weather has damaged electricity infrastructure, caused multiple network faults and made several affected areas difficult or unsafe to access. Eskom teams are assessing damage, attending to faults and working to restore supply where conditions allow. However, road closures, hazardous terrain and continued adverse weather conditions may result in longer-than-usual restoration times in some areas.
Eskom recognises the impact that these outages have on affected communities and understands the disruption they cause to daily life, businesses and essential services. While every effort is being made to restore electricity supply as quickly as possible, the safety of customers, communities and technical teams remains Eskom’s highest priority.
In KwaZulu-Natal, electricity supply has been restored to most areas affected by outages experienced over the long weekend. Restoration work has been undertaken in Kokstad, Franklin, Nottingham Road, Underberg, Pietermaritzburg, Margate, Estcourt and Empangeni. Repairs are continuing in the remaining affected areas, while technicians remain on standby to access locations currently cut off by road closures.
In the Eastern Cape, electricity supply interruptions have affected several communities, with the Joe Gqabi and Alfred Nzo districts experiencing the greatest impact. While snowfall, strong winds and extremely cold temperatures continue to create hazardous working conditions and restrict access to damaged infrastructure, Eskom has successfully restored electricity supply to approximately 60% of affected customers. Restoration efforts continue in the remaining areas as conditions allow.
In Limpopo, electricity supply has been fully restored following weather-related outages. Eskom teams remain on standby to respond to any new incidents that may arise should adverse weather conditions persist.
Eskom teams are also responding to weather-related faults in parts of the Free State. Damage assessments and restoration activities are continuing in affected areas, with additional resources being deployed where required to support safe restoration efforts.
“Our teams are working under extremely difficult conditions to restore electricity supply to affected communities. We recognise the disruption these outages are causing and appreciate the patience, understanding and cooperation shown by customers during this time. While restoration work can proceed only when affected sites are safe and accessible, every effort is being made to restore supply as quickly and safely as possible. We remain focused on restoring electricity to affected customers wherever conditions permit, without compromising the safety of our employees, contractors and the communities we serve,” said Distribution Group Executive, Junaid Munshi.
Safety Remains Paramount During Restoration Efforts
Customers are urged to observe the following safety precautions:
- Treat all electrical infrastructure, including fallen or low-hanging cables, as live and dangerous.
- Stay clear of fallen power lines and immediately report them to Eskom.
- Avoid damaged poles, transformers and other electrical equipment.
- Never attempt to remove debris from, tamper with, or repair damaged electricity infrastructure.
- Keep children and livestock away from damaged electrical infrastructure.
- Report electricity hazards and supply interruptions immediately.
Eskom remains committed to restoring electricity supply safely and efficiently across all affected areas while safeguarding the well-being of employees, contractors and the communities it serves. The utility thanks customers and communities for their patience, understanding and cooperation during this challenging period and urges the public to remain vigilant around damaged electricity infrastructure and report any hazards immediately.
Customers can report faults and damaged infrastructure through the following channels:
- Alfred Chatbot: https://alfred.eskom.co.za/chatroom/
- WhatsApp: Save 08600 37566 to your contacts and start a conversation with Alfred.
- Eskom Contact Centre: 08600 ESKOM (37566).
About Eskom and Electricity – Carbon Emissions: Eskom is one of the largest carbon emitters in South Africa due to its coal reliance.
Gro
Ryan Bacher originally set out to develop and sell technology that would allow retailers to transition to online. But at the time, no other retailers were looking to transition, so they decided to showcase how profitable the technology could be and launched NetFlorist. \”Our plan was to run the site for one day to prove that we could do it. And then we got R30 000 worth of orders. That was the equivalent of a whole month\’s revenue at a flower shop,\” explains Bacher. 19 years later, the delivery giant almost single-handily defined and established ecommerce in South Africa. NetFlorist now operates in major countries and cities around the world, offering its game-changing same-day delivery.